Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai during a mass in Bkirki, on March 15, 2026. (Credit: NNA)
The current Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai, speaking during his Sunday homily in Bkirki, called on Lebanon to support President Joseph Aoun and the army's commander-in-chief, Rodolph Haykal, as the latter faces mounting criticism amid the war between Israel and Hezbollah which escalated on March 2.
"In these difficult circumstances, we must all protect the State, its president, its army, and its commander. This is the time to defend, not to nurture prejudice. This is the time for trust, not persecution. In a time of fierce war, we do not change leaders," declared Rai, who was celebrating Mass in the presence of delegations from the Christian border villages of Rmeish, Debel, and Qouzah in southern Lebanon.
Haykal reluctant to use force against Hezbollah
His remarks come as Haykal has expressed reluctance to use force against Hezbollah, despite the fact that the Cabinet last week asked the Lebanese Army to implement the plan for a monopoly on weapons "by all possible means" and "as soon as possible." This caution has drawn widespread criticism of Haykal, particularly from the United States, who has reportedly pushed for his dismissal.
Aoun, for his part, is attempting to establish direct negotiations with Israel under international sponsorship to end the war with Hezbollah.
'The church is with you, the nation is with you'
"Lebanon is plunged into a fierce war between Hezbollah and Israel, a war that has been imposed on us," said the patriarch. He lamented the fact that "families have been brutally displaced. Lebanese families, both Christian and Muslim, have fled their villages, not knowing when they will be able to return, where they would find refuge, or what future awaits their children."
"To these people, we say: you are not alone. The church is with you, the nation is with you. Today, we remember our compatriots in the south who stayed on their land, refusing to leave. They reject this war and want to live on their land in dignity and peace, and we support them. We also do not forget those who have been forced to leave their homes, their land and their towns because of this senseless and devastating war, rejected by both the authorities and the people," continued the prelate.
Rai also paid tribute to Father Pierre Rai, parish priest of Qlaya (Marjayoun), who was killed on March 9 in a double tap Israeli airstrike while he was helping the wounded following an initial strike.
He also said he was "deeply saddened by the martyrdom of the three young men from Ain Ebel (Bint Jbeil): Georges Khoreishe, Elie Atallah, and Shadi al-Ammar." These three residents of the Christian town of Ain Ebel were killed in an Israeli drone attack on March 12 on their village.
Bishop Audi and ‘a world that glorifies force’
The Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut, Elias Audi, also addressed the war in Lebanon and the suffering of the Lebanese people in his Sunday homily at St George’s Cathedral in Beirut. “The Lebanese have borne the cross for a long time. Many people are carrying heavy burdens today: those of poverty, anxiety about the future, war, destruction, displacement, the loss of loved ones, and fear for the country,” he said.
The religious leader also denounced “a world governed by wickedness and sin, a world that sanctifies force, rejects justice and puts its own interests before those of others."
Israel military announces soldier killed in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah buries dozens of its fighters